


The Prophetical Innuendo

by Snappy_Snippets



Series: The Language of Occlumency [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hogwarts Era, Humor, Innuendo, M/M, Occlumency, POV Draco Malfoy, Puns & Word Play, Slash, featuring Snape's hidden Divination talents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-19 06:17:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4735601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snappy_Snippets/pseuds/Snappy_Snippets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few years ago, Snape gave Draco advice. Draco did not take it. In more ways than one, as it turns out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Prophetical Innuendo

Draco stood in front of the heavy door and suddenly felt like he was eleven all over again.

'There are things at stake here, Draco, which are of much more import than your hurt ego,' Snape had hissed, holding Draco's thin arm in a tight grip and towering over him. 'Things which you know nothing of, things which you cannot be yet expected to comprehend...' 

Snape's voice had grown softer and he'd trailed off, looking away from Draco for a moment. Then his gaze had returned with a renewed force and Draco had almost flinched. 

He smiled to himself. Well, yes, all right, he _had_ flinched.

And then had fallen the words which, in hindsight, seemed much less like advice and much more like a particularly mocking prophesy.

'Draco, do _not_ mess around with Potter.'

Obviously, being himself, Draco had gone on ahead to do just that. He couldn't help a self-satisfied smirk. _'Do not mess around with Potter.'_

He felt his shoulders slump as he remembered why he was standing in front of Snape's quarters. The situation was not in the least amusing. He straightened his robes, took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock on the door.

Before his knuckles reached the wood, the door had swung open.

Snape was sitting at his desk, scribbling furiously on parchment so rumpled it could only have been a Gryffindor's homework by the looks of it. 

'I was beginning to wonder if perhaps you were planning to set up permanent residence at my threshold,' he said smoothly without raising his head.

Draco cursed inwardly. Of course. Of course, he should have known.

'Enter.'

Draco took a few steps inside the room and noticed there was something strangely wiggly about his legs. He turned around and slowly closed the door behind him. His signet rattled on the wood loudly and Draco made a note of the fact that none of his limbs were cooperating with him at this point. He decided that a chair would be a very good idea indeed.

He turned around from the door only to find himself fixed with his professor's expectant and, if almost imperceptibly, worried gaze.

'Is something the matter?' Snape asked slowly.

Draco let his eyes down and blindingly followed the familiar path to the chair on the other side of the desk. He had sat there so many times before. Being praised, lectured, questioned, scolded, comforted, righted. But this time was bound to be something else entirely.

Draco sat down shakily. He was trying to remember all the different scenarios for this conversation which he had come up with in this mind prior to coming here. Some of them were actually rather good. It was a shame he felt like they had never even been there. His mind was blank, his breath hitched and with the corner of his eye he could see Snape's gaze was still on him. Though his eyes seemed much narrower now than a mere minute ago. 

Snape let out a quick, irritated breath and finally put down his quill. 

'What have you done, Draco?' 

There was a hint of exasperation in the tone of his voice but Draco knew he was doing his best to reign it in.

How was he supposed to say this? The few times he had actually dared to stop and think about this, his own thoughts had sounded fake to him. How could this possibly have happened? Which one of them made it happen? And what was 'it' exactly? And where had 'it' been hiding all those years?

Draco noticed his fingers were hurting from how hard he'd been gripping the arm rests.

Snape leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow.

'This bad...?'

At Draco's lack of reaction, he uttered a true martyr's sigh and reached into a desk cupboard Draco knew very well. Two familiar wide crystal glasses appeared on the desk, followed by a fresh bottle of firewhisky. Snape filled Draco's glass first. Draco grabbed and emptied it instantly. Snape looked at him as if he suddenly couldn't even remember how his 'where are your manners?' routine went.

Snape hesitated for a moment, looking at Draco, his eyes wider now, and then refilled Draco's glass, put down the bottle and moved his own glass between his fingers.

'Tell me what you need from me,' Snape said evenly.

Draco finally managed to find it in himself to look up. Good. That was good. That was something he could work with.

'I need to brush up on my Occlumency,' he said, his voice quiet.

Snape's eyes were back to narrow slits.

'Why?'

Oh, there it was again. The source of his uncharacteristic loss for words. He was not used to not being able to express himself efficiently. He had always felt words were a source of power. Now he would give everything to give that power away and stay mute. And blind, possibly. Hmm... Yes, blind... would that mitigate the Legilimency threat?

Snape snorted.

'Draco, you are wasting my precious time. I might be able to assist you more efficiently in whatever calamity rendered you virtually speechless if I had any information at all about the nature of the problem,' he stopped and fixed Draco with an expectant gaze again. Draco kept very still and hoped to Merlin he didn't look like a petrified Kneazle. 'Fine,' Snape finally said with a sigh. 'Whatever the motivation, there certainly can be no wrongdoing in revisiting already properly acquired skills. Though I believe your aunt taught you well, therefore there won't be much to work on.'

Draco could see that this was not going in the intended direction. This was not going to cut it. He leant forward and made an effort to look straight into Snape's eyes.

'No, I need to be exceptional at Occlumency. I need to be able to block intrusions completely imperceptibly, compartmentalize instantly and project fake memories in place of genuine ones without missing a beat.'

Snape held his gaze for a long time. His face became cold, pale, expressionless. Draco thought he could see thin veins under the white paper-thin skin of his face. Then Snape opened his mouth and spoke almost inaudibly. The tone of his voice made Draco think it was less appointment time negotiation and more asking for confirmation of one of his worst nightmares.

'We will start after the holiday break.'

For a moment, Draco hesitated. But it seemed like there was no backing away now. 

'No,' Draco said very quietly. 'I need to have it mastered _before_ going home for the holidays.' And then, after a pause, 'He might visit.'

Not even a second passed before Snape's crystal glass was crushing and crumbling between his fingers, tiny shards cutting into the flesh and making blood smear all over the broken pieces.

Snape did not seem to pay it any mind, however. He closed his eyes.

'Please, Draco,' he said, his voice breaking. 'Please tell me what you have done.'

Draco looked at his own white knuckles, his fingers clutching the arm rests. 

It had to be said sooner or later. It had to if they were both to survive this damn war that was coming. More importantly, probably, if Potter was to survive.

He took a deep breath.

'Professor... do you remember when a few years ago you told me not to _mess around_ with Harry Potter...? Well, you are aware I did not take this to heart and... it seems recently this has acquired a whole new meaning...'

**Author's Note:**

> to mess around with somebody  
> 1\. to treat someone badly  
> 2\. to have sex with someone, especially when you should not
> 
> ___
> 
> This is my first ever fic. Please don't be gentle, I can handle pain. 
> 
> Will kiss your feet in exchange for feedback (if given consent).


End file.
